Month: April 2018

Between 2003 and 2008 I covered a number of fights in the State of Colorado while I attended law school at the University of Denver. One of Colorado’s most popular boxers during this decade was the gritty Rob Frankel. Frankel started off in rather unspectacular fashion, getting stopped in his pro debut by Hector Munoz before winning a pair of uninspiring decisions over a pair of fighters with records of 0-7 and 0-6 respectively.

I won’t lie…I wasn’t expecting much from him.

Maybe a few more ugly wins before getting blown out against a top level prospect…and then either a slide into opponent status or an end to the boxing career.

But a funny thing happened on the way to obscurity. Frankel learned how to fight, and that coupled with his rock solid chin and his overall toughness led to Frankel becoming one of Colorado boxing’s most unexpected main event fighters. On April 9, 2005 Frankel scored a stunning upset over Martin O’Malley, a moment that gave birth to one of Colorado boxing’s most unexpected stories. Frankel gave as good as he got, and although he never quite pulled off that one big win that would put him into the world rankings, he gave a lot of Colorado boxing fans reason to believe in him nonetheless. He was tough and we just knew that one day he would find that one contender who was looking past him. One day he would march into the top ten and upend the apple cart. Since that inglorious pro debut, Rob Frankel would win a NABA belt in 2008, a WBC regional belt in 2012, he would defeat a former USBA champion named Michael Stewart in 2007 and even scored a win over a guy named Pacquiao (OK, it was Manny’s brother Bobby, but still a nice win).

But back on April 16, 2004 he was just another unknown undercard fighter who I expected would be done with the sport by the end of the year.

April 15, 2010. Eight years ago today. I was approached by Fightnews about a possible interview with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. Naturally I was excited about the opportunity to interview Wladimir, but not just because he was the heavyweight champion. I felt like this interview might be the start of a legendary rivalry. Quite frankly, in 2010 the division was stagnant. In April of 2010 Klitschko had just passed something of a milestone: six years since he last tasted defeat on April 10, 2004. In that time he won 12 straight fights but to many American fans the division had grown stale under his dominant reign. But along came a cocky Brit who seemed to push all of Wladimir’s buttons. In 2010 it looked like boxing was about to get a shot of adrenaline and the birth of a new rivalry for the ages: Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye.

Of course history has shown us that the rivalry was anticlimactic…but for a few months in 2010 and 2011…it did look like something special was brewing in the heavyweight division.

Wladimir Klitschko calls out David Haye

For many boxing fans, the heavyweight division has been in a serious slump for several years, despite the fact that the reigning IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KO’s) is so clearly a class above almost every other contender in the division.Since winning the IBF title back in 2006 from Chris Byrd he has arguably not lost a single round against the eight fighters he’s defended his title against, and even his harshest critics admit that he could easily continue that streak of dominance for several more years.But it’s not so much that fact that he’s dominant that has boxing fans writing off the division.It’s the manner in which he has been winning lately, with some critics considering him to be to “safety first” against clearly overmatched opponents.But if there is one thing that could give the division and the sport a much needed shot of adrenaline, it is a legitimate grudge match between Klitschko and the only fighter in the world who doesn’t share his last name and who is widely perceived as his only serious threat: DavidHaye.And although a unification fight seems like a no-brainer, it is already emerging as quite possibly the most heated heavyweight rivalry since Mike Tyson and Razor Ruddock.

“I want to wipe (Haye) out of the ring,” Klitschko said to Fightnews with noticeable anger and contempt, “I care about the punishment in the fight for DavidHaye. The best scenario is like the (Eddie) Chambers fight.I want to punish him for twelve rounds and then knock him out.But I don’t think I can wait, If I see the opportunity to knock him out at I’m going to do it.”

Klitschko admitted to Fightnews that not only has Haye gotten under his skin, but he has emerged as the most despised fighter he’s ever encountered.

“Whatever you call it, under my skin, it’s enough bullshitting from DavidHaye and his side, and I think now is the time to make it.”Klitschko stated, “I made it clear in the message I posted online, I want DavidHaye’s title, and I want to beat this ‘bitching out’ person in the ring.”

May boxing fans have already seen the now infamous clip of Wladimir Klitschko challenging the WBA champion in harsh and at times profane words; it proved as shocking as it was effective, showing a different side of the German based champion.The Clip was featured on Fightnews and in the two days since it was posted on Youtube it has garnered nearly half a million views.The video itself has created more buzz in the division than any of the title fights this year, but there remains one unanswered question: will Haye accept the challenge?

“I made it as clear as possible, I used social media so it came direct from me and not the promoters,” Klitschko stated, “I just had enough of DavidHaye’s bullshit for a year and a half, and I laid back, but that’s enough now.Actions speak louder than words.Now we’ll see how scared DavidHaye is.”

Klitschko also made it clear that he believed that DavidHaye had ducked him in the past, and has not put it past the WBA champ to come up with an excuse to avoid fighting him.

“No doubt he avoided me, Sorry to call him a liar.But I was relying on his word.Then two weeks before (the scheduled Wladimir Klitschko–Haye fight) he bitched out and claimed he had a back injury, and then asked for two more weeks.And then four more weeks, and then six more weeks.Then he made an excuse for not fighting Vitali, saying the contract was bad.It was the same contract he signed with me!That’s why I just can’t trust this guy.He’s dishonest”.

For many boxing fans it is refreshing to see the heavyweight champion show a meaner, edgier side.But some insiders are wondering if he is falling into Haye’s trap.Most insiders felt that Klitschko was too cautious and defensive in his last several fights, and many are wondering if the raw emotion that Klitschko is displaying could lead him into a fight that would benefit that smaller, but hard hitting, Haye.

I have my strength, forty-eight fighters out of fifty-three that I faced ended up either sitting on the stool or being knocked out.DavidHaye is going to be one of those guys.I will knock him out.I will knock this mo-fo out!”

A tasteless T-shirt that Haye was recently spotted wearing created an uproar with many boxing fans (it featured Haye with the severed heads of both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko), but it appears that it had the desired effect.

“It’s just not acceptable to represent himself with two (severed) heads and then not to take the fight, but just to promote himself.I think he’s obnoxious and I don’t like how he walks and how he talks”.

Klitschko also considered his plan-B if the Haye fight fails to materialize, a fight with long-time #1 contender Alex Poevtkin.Although Povetkin is not widely recognized by American fight fans, he is widely regarded as the best undefeated heavyweight in the world and long overdue for a title fight.A Haye fight will require another postponement for the #1 contender.When asked why that fight hasn’t occurred yet, Klitschko pointed the finger squarely in Povetkin’s camp.

“If DavidHaye keeps bitching, then I have to fight Povetkin,” Klitschko stated, “But we have another problem in which Povetkin is not ready.His coach is saying he’s not ready.Two years ago we had an opportunity and they say he’s not ready.Now he is still not ready?How much time does he need?”

Although Klitschko has been getting a fair share of criticism in the last few years, there is little question that he has been dominant.And Klitschko feels that much of the criticism is somewhat unwarranted.

“Eddie Chambers and Sultan Ibragimov are similar fighters,” Klitschko pointed out, “after four rounds they gave up with there strategy and were just playing safe.If you try to knock out a fighter who is just playing it safe it is very difficult.If a fighter is just playing safe, then any fight is going to be boring.That’s why I got into the conversation with Emanuel Steward in the last round.Emanuel was in the corner and told me I have to knock him out, I said ‘Emanuel, Relax, I’m trying!’”

But for American boxing fans, it has been increasingly difficult to gauge his performances since his less than stellar decision over Sultan Ibragimov in February 2008 was his last U.S. appearance and his most recent title fight against Eddie Chambers has not broadcast on any major cable network.HBO executive Ross Greenburg even made a comment that American boxing fans were having trouble telling the two Klitschko’s apart, leading to a drop in ratings and interest from fans.

“It’s just about boxing and not about who looks alike or not,” Klitschko fired back, “and Vitali’s fight against Arreola had the highest rating on HBO of the year!It is difficult to comment on such things.”

Almost all boxing fans admit, however, that there is one heavyweight fight that could happen that would prove to be one of the most talked about, and possibly exciting, title fights in the division’s history.But for boxing fans it is no closer to happening.

“There is nothing that can make us fight,” Wladimir said about a possible Klitschko versus Klitschko matchup, “if the world goes down and only our fight can save the world then maybe we will fight each other, than otherwise not.”

Tomas Villa prior to his fight with Jhonny Gonzalez in 2011. Photo by Sumio Yamada.

The Finger Post is sad to report that former featherweight contender Tomas Villa of Midland, Texas died this Tuesday (April 3, 2018). Villa was reportedly involved in a car accident two miles south of Midland. According to the police report A Dodge Durango driven by Villa hit a Kenworth truck tractor on Highway 349 at 5:44 PM. Villa, who according to the police report was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Villa, who originally hailed from Ojinaga, Mexico, was perhaps best remembered for his 2011 fight with Mexican bomber Johnny Gonzalez for the WBC featherweight title. Although Gonzalez stopped Villa in four rounds in what would ultimately become Villa’s final fight as a professional, it was nonetheless a proud moment for the Midland based brawler. Villa’s career spanned just over ten years and in that time Villa emerged as arguably the geatest boxer to ever come out of the Permian Basin. Villa was a two time Texas State featherweight champion before exploding onto the national scene in 2005, when Villa won the NABA super bantamweight title by stopping then undefeated peospect David Martinez in ten rounds. Three months after the win over Martinez Villa added the WBC Continental America’s Super Bantamweight tittle when he stopped another highly touted undefeated contender in Cuauhtemoc Vargas. In 2008 Villa would capture his first world title when he stopped Gilberto Sanchez Leon in four rounds for the IBA featherweight belt. In 2010 Villa would take on Mikey Garcia in a fight for the USBA featherweight belt and although he came up short against Garcia he would bounce back in impressive fashion, upsetting boxing royalty just two months later with a decision victory over Salvador Sanchez. Villa finished his career with a record of 23-8-5, 14 KOs.